Joyce Mitchell, the Dannemora prison employee who helped Richard Matt and David Sweat escape from the prison, will collect her state pension, even though she is forced to retire because she is going to jail for her role in the incident.[WNYT]

Schenectady shooting victim named
The 18 year old man shot on a Schenectady Street on Monday has been identified as Kusaan Tolliver. The shooting was the second in five days in the city. The president of the Hamilton Hill Neighborhood Association says the group is planning a march against violence with the help of the Southern Christian Leadership conference.[TU][TWCN]

Libous found guilty
State Senator Tom Libous - the deputy majority leader of the state Senate, was founded guilty on Wednesday of lying to FBI agents regarding his son's hiring at a politically connected law firm. Libous, who has prostate cancer that he says is terminal, forfeits his seat as a result of the conviction and will be sentenced in October. [NYT][TU]

Attorneys want $7 million for redistricting suit
Albany County wants a federal judge to throw out the $7-million legal bill submitted by the attorneys who sued to invalidate the county's 2011 redistricting map.[TU]

Fireworks
After a Fourth of July in which local counties (except Albany) allowed some types of fireworks, some people say noise and disruptions from pyrotechnics were worse in some neighborhoods, though local police departments say they got about the same number of calls. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Saratoga Springs police
WNYT reports that the officer placed on leave following the middle finger traffic stop has submitted his resignation. [WNYT]

Dannemora escape
A few bits are surfacing about Richard Matt and David Sweat's time on the run. Andrew Cuomo said on the Capitol Pressroom that Matt and Sweat had split up days before they were captured, apparently because Sweat thought Matt was slowing him down. Cuomo also said the escapees' original plan was to allegedly meet Joyce Mitchell outside the prison and head for Mexico -- when Mitchell didn't show up, the plan changed to run toward Canada. [Capitol Pressroom] [TU]

+ "Law enforcement officials briefed on the probe" tell CNN, and "one official with knowledge of the matter" tells NYT, that the FBI has opened a corruption investigation into employees and inmates at the Clinton Correctional Facility. [CNN] [NYT]

+ "People briefed on the matter but not authorized to comment" tell the Times Union that the superintendent of the Clinton Correctional Facility and some other leaders of the prison have been placed on administrative leave. [TU]

+ On Monday Albany Med announced that Sweat has been upgraded to serious condition, and doctors have determined he doesn't require surgery at this time. A Syracuse-area trauma surgeon tells the Times Union it's not uncommon for people who are shot to not require surgery. [Albany Med press release] [TU]

Dannemora Manhunt
Day 20 and Richard Matt and David Sweat are still at large. State Police say one of the cabins linked to the two men is missing a shotgun and that many cabins in the area of the search keep guns and ammunition. [TWCN]

Also Thursday: An attorney for Lyle Mitchell, the husband of Joyce Mitchell (the prison employee who's been arrested for allegedly providing assistance to Matt and Sweat), on his client's stance toward his wife: "Lyle still cares but realizes he can't stand by her. She's kind of made her own bed. He has to distance himself." He also said his client is being "completely cooperative" with law enforcement. [US Marshals] [NYSP] [TU] [TWCN]

+ Unnamed sources continue to leak alleged details about the case. A "law enforcement source" tells the New York Daily News that allegedly Mitchell said during interrogation that Matt and Sweat had planned on killing her husband, and she would drive to an unknown location far away. A "law enforcement source" (The same person?) tells the Times Union that he/she heard secondhand that the plan included "possibly" killing Mitchell's husband. [NYDN] [TU]

Meta: From the New York Times: "For Mr. Cuomo, the escaped men represent both a genuine law-enforcement challenge -- how to chase down a pair of killers in a remote corner of the state -- and an unexpected break from the deepest political doldrums of his time in office."

Henry Johnson
Barack Obama is scheduled to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to WWI hero, and Albany native, Henry Johnson this morning. The top enlisted member of the New York Army National Guard will be accepting the award on Johnson's behalf. [TU]

Kenneth White case
Tiffany VanAlstyne -- accused of killing her 5-year-old cousin Kenneth White in December -- is described to police on video how she choked the boy and then dumped his body over a guardrail near their home in Knox, according to court documents obtained by the Times Union. [TU+]

Robinson gets maximum
Herman Robinson was sentenced on Wednesday to 100 years to life in prison for repeatedly raping a young woman and murdering the infant child she gave birth to. At the sentencing Herman maintained his innocence, while his victim, now a college student training to be a social worker, told the court,"I am strong." [TWCN][Gazette][TU]

Assembly passes single payer health bill
The State Assembly approved a bill on Wednesday to create a single-payer health system in NY. This was the first vote to occur on the issue since 1992, though it had been introduced every year since by Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried. It is not likely to clear the Senate. [TU]

Troy police civil rights suit
John Larkins, whose lawsuit over an encounter with Troy police at a hospital in 2011 resulted in a jury finding last week that two officers had violated his civil rights by using excessive force, to the Times Union: "I don't want a buyout ... That's not justice. I want their badges to be taken away. The police are supposed to protect our civil rights, not trample over them. Chief Tedesco should also be prosecuted. Systematic injustice has been perpetuated by his officers." [TU]

Oil trains
The state Department of Environmental Conversation announced Thursday that it's rescinding its earlier to decision to no require a full environmental review of Global Companies' plan to build a facility for heating crude oil at the Port of Albany. (Speculation is that the facility would allow the transfer of tar sands oil from Canada at the port.) DEC cited the nearby Ezra Prentice Homes, and the potential adverse impacts on the people living there, as a reason for the switch. Albany Common Council member Dorcey Applyrs to the Times Union, about the change and the addition of an air pollution sensor near the port: "This is what the community has been asking for. We want to know what is in the air that we are breathing." [NYS DEC] [Capital] [TU]

Albany police tasers and body cameras
Acting Albany police chief Brendan Cox briefed a Common Council committee on the APD's new guidelines for taser use, including multiple categories of people for which officers would be restricted from using the stun guns. (It has now been a month and a half since Dontay Ivy died in police custody after being tasered.) [TU]

Derailed Amtrak train was speeding
The Amtrak train that derailed on a sharp curve between Philadelphia and NY on Tuesday night, killing seven people was speeding at more than 106 mph before it went off the tracks. The engineer says he has no recollection of what happened. Chuck Schumer is calling for Positive Train Control systems that would slow down trains when they are going to fast or when there is a car or another train on the track. [NYT][WNYT][News 10]

Silver trial date
Sheldon Silver pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, at his arraignment on charges he transferred more than $287,000 of what prosecutors say were the proceeds of his crimes into investments that were not available to the general public.Silver's trial has been set for November 1[NYT][Business Review]

Cuomo plan for police oversight
Meeting with lobbyists and family members of people killed by police, Andrew Cuomo said if lawmakers don't approve his plans for independent monitor to oversee such cases he will create a special prosecutor who would have the power to pursue charges against officers.[TU]

Albany police taser
Albany police say a man "appeared to have a seizure and became unresponsive" after being tasered after an alleged attempt to flee and resist arrest. APD says officers began CPR, and the man regained consciousness before EMS arrived. Police say the man -- Jamarl Townsend of Albany, age 21 -- had been identified as a parole absconder and was wanted for questioning in a 2014 shooting. APD acting chief Brendan Cox to the Times Union: "(The suspect) decided to run. And based on all information, having been involved in a shooting and believed to have a gun, it was an appropriate use of the Taser." Townsend's sister, Ashante Boyd, to WNYT: "The reason he tried to run yesterday is because he was scared ... He don't want to go back to jail. Any person they don't want to be back in jail after they did time." [APD press release] [TU] [WNYT]

Normanskill
Some residents along the Normanskill say they're still worried about potential flooding from the landslide this week. The city of Albany announced Friday morning that all 18 holes of the Capital Hills golf course, which borders the landslide area and has been used to access the blockage, will be open this weekend. [TU] [city of Albany press release]

Earth Day
Today is Earth Day. The first Earth Day was celebrated 45 years ago. That's also the day the first Earth Day legislation was signed in New York State, creating the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation -- one of the first government agencies specifically formed for the purpose of overseeing all environmental concerns through one organization.

Forensic scientists face termination
Fifteen forensic scientists with the State Police have been suspended without pay and issued termination notices following a six-month internal investigation that revealed unauthorized information sharing on training exams for a new computer-based form of DNA analysis.[TU]

Herman Robinson trial
Herman Robinson's alleged suicide note -- which mentions the repeated rape of a young woman, her pregnancy, and the death of the baby -- was allowed into evidence at his trial. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday. [Daily Gazette] [News10]

Rotterdam police settlement
An attorney for the family who alleged their teen's arm was broken by Rotterdam police during incident on a school bus that was captured on video says their suit has been settled for $360k. [Daily Gazette]

Funeral for Dontay Ivy
Funeral services for Dontay Ivy were Monday in Albany. The services drew about 400 people, including Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan and acting police chief Brendan Cox. One of Ivy's cousins, Chamberlain Guthrie, to TWCN about the investigation into Ivy's death while in police custody: "We're not disillusioned to the process, we're not disillusioned to reality, we just want the truth to come out in the end." [News10] [TU] [TWCN]

Investigation into death of Dontay Ivy
The Albany Police Department issued a statement Thursday that it welcomes the independent investigation of the Dontay Ivy case by the Albany County DA's office. And continued: "In order to ensure a fair and impartial investigation by the District Attorney's Office the police department is unable to comment any further until the investigation has been completed." [APD press release]

+ Acting Albany police chief Brendan Cox said Ivy was stopped by officers "based on suspicious activity" -- the nature of which has not yet been disclosed -- and officers used a Taser, number of times not yet disclosed, after the situation became combative. Cox says APD is continuing to investigate. [Daily Gazette]

+ Albany police released a brief timeline of the incident, indicating officers performed CPR on Ivy and that an ambulance transporting him arrived at Albany Med roughly 35 minutes after the start of the situation. [News10]

Hi. We're continuing to try out a new format for Morning Blend. Thanks for the feedback so far, and we welcome continued suggestions.

What not to wear
Your winter coat. It's going to be 61. Also, we suggest a walk at lunchtime. This reprieve from the winter that wouldn't end isn't going to last for long.

Man dies in APD custodyUpdated Albany police are investigating the death of a 39-year-old man who police say died after being tasered during a physical confrontation with officers near Lark Street early Thursday morning. Statement from Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan: "The Albany Police Department is investigating the death of a person in custody. The incident occurred on Lark Street near Second Street early this morning. I ask that everyone respect the process and await the results of the investigation. Our condolences go out to the family during this difficult time." [TU] [City of Albany press release]

$11.5 million
What Albany County gets to deal with debt that dates back to the construction of the Knickerbocker Arena, Pepsi, Times Union Center. Other local budget items include:
+ $152 million for projects at the Harriman state office campus.
+ $2 million appropriation for the Schenectady Metroplex redevelopment.
+ $42 million appropriation for the University at Albany Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Complex and other projects part of the SUNY 2020 challenge grant program.
[TU]

Hello. We're trying something new with Morning Blend because the old format was starting to feel really stale. This new take still includes links to news stories (though there will be fewer of them) while mixing in other sorts of bits: quotes, facts, events. The new format is a work in progress and is likely to change.

Authorities in Schenectady say one body has been recovered from the Jay Street apartment building destroyed by fire last week, but the investigation was put on hold Wednesday due to wind gusts for 48 miles per hour and a shaky chimney, but is expected to continue today. [WNYT][TWCN]

Kathy Sheehan on the incident at the Washington Ave Armory this past weekend: "The melee, and I think it is fair to call it a melee, demonstrates a complete lack of control inside that building, and it's something that we are focusing on and looking at our options." The Armory released a statement reporting that it had 35 private security guards, as well as five APD officers at the facility that night. Also from the statement: "The Armory aims on providing a safe environment for all its patrons. These types of artists, however, encourage the wrong behavior. As a result, Migos is now banned from the Armory and the Armory will not be hosting these types of artists in the future." [TU] [News10] [Armory statement]

Albany police chief Steven Krokoff is leaving the department to take a police chief position job in Georgia, the Sheehan administration announced Monday morning. Krokoff says in the press release the move is about being able to spend more time with extended family. He's been chief since 2010, and during his term has pushed the APD to be more oriented toward community policing. Krokoff's last day -- he's technically retiring -- is set for April 1. Current deputy chief Brendan Cox has been named interim chief. [City of Albany press release]

Albany police say a four-year-old boy died after being hit by a truck while crossing Central Ave at Quail Street (map). APD says the boy had been crossing with his mother, holding hands, and walking with the light -- an APD spokesman says that information is from surveillance video -- and the truck had been turning left on the green light. The garbage truck belongs to a private company, ICS Waste & Recycling -- a company spokesperson said in a statement that "The child had jumped over a snowbank and out into the road without warning." A crossing guard at the intersection told WNYT of traffic at the intersection: "They don't stop. They don't care. They never stop. They never stop. You gotta jump out of the way." An employee at the Subway on the corner tells the Times Union she saw someone hit at the intersection last summer. [APD press releases] [News10] [TWCN] [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Andrew Cuomo, talking with the Syracuse Post-Standard editorial board this week, on Sheldon Silver: "This was a 20-year senior state official. If you can't trust him, who can you trust?" [Syracuse Post-Standard]

US Attorney Preet Bharara speaking Friday about state's government's longstanding "three men in a room" power structure: "There are by my count 213 men and women in the state legislature, and yet it is common knowledge that only three men essentially wield all the power. ... I must confess a little bit of confusion about this: When did this come to pass? Why has everyone just come to accept it?" [Capital]

Andrew Cuomo, to the New York Daily News editorial board, about the Silver situation: "Obviously it's bad for the speaker, but it's also a bad reflection on government and it adds to the negativity. And it adds to the cynicism and it adds to the 'they're all the same,'" (The governor did not say whether he thinks Silver should resign his leadership spot.) [NYDN]

The feds allege Silver racked up millions in income from his legal work -- yet by public appearances, Silver is said to have lived a relatively modest life (including stays at the Red Carpet Inn in Albany). [NY Post]

A state appellate court has reversed the conviction of Tina Karuzas -- the Schenectady woman convicted of manslaughter for allegedly fatally stabbing her neighbor in 2011 -- citing problems with the prosecution being allowed to cross examine her about a prior harassment conviction. [TU]

A state appellate court has ordered a new trial for Lydia Ann Salce -- the Halfmoon woman convicted of attempted murder for allegedly attacking her husband in their home in 2011 -- citing a denial of a defense witness and problems with an explanation given to the jury. [TU]

Chris Gibson announced Tuesday morning that he will not run for re-election to the House of Representatives after the term that starts today. From a press release:

As I stated shortly after retiring from the US Army and first pursuing a seat in Congress in 2010, I planned to self-impose term limits. Accordingly, after much reflection and consultation with my family, this will be my third and final time taking the oath of office as a Representative in the US House. I thank the voters of Upstate NY for this privilege to serve and pledge to continue to work tirelessly on their behalf in this final term.

A Republican Party "source" told Roll Call ahead of the announcement that Gibson is interested in running for a statewide office in 2018. And from Gibson's announcement press release: "Moving forward, I will be committed to building a stronger team so that the GOP can compete and win statewide in 2018, including the possibility of being a candidate in that cycle." (Among the offices up fro election that year: governor.) [Chris Gibson's office] [Roll Call]

A lot of people -- us included -- try to unplug a bit during the time between Christmas and the start of the new year. So, we're doing something a little different for Morning Blend today. Here are a dozen notable news stories from that period. Some of these are big stories that got a lot of attention, others less so but are still noteworthy/interesting. (This isn't a comprehensive list.)

Among the high-profile projects: The Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market project in downtown Troy got the largest award of any single project in the Capital Region -- $1.5 million. The market's manager says they're hoping to be in the space by 2016. (Plans for the overall mixed-used project on the site of the former city hall have still not been released or approved.) And the planned "Robinson Block" mixed-use development on lower State Street in Schenectady got $1.2 million -- officials say the project could start next year. [Troy Record] [Daily Gazette]

Alexis Torres -- who pleaded guilty to killing Amber Lynne Fernald in Lansingburgh in June -- was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. Said Fernald's teen son at the sentencing: "I hope that for the rest of your life that you are haunted by the images of what you did to the woman you said you loved ... We hope you burn in hell." Said Shane Hug, the ADA who prosecuted the case, about the Fernald's death and other incidents of domestic violence: "All too often things are happening behind closed doors where people are being abused -- women, children -- and we need to stand up together say 'enough.' Not just the police, not just the DA's office, not just the courts." [WNYT] [TU] [Troy Record]

A group calling themselves "We Can't Breathe- Justice for Eric Garner," has organized a rally tonight to protest the New York City grand jury decision not to file charges against the police officer charged with choking the unarmed black man to death. [TU]

The city of Albany, which already has an $11 million dollar deal in exchange for support of the proposed East Greenbush casino, has signed an $11 million agreement with Rensselaer in return for support of the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.[TU]

Albany High School officials say four white students have been suspended for online harassment aimed at the school's senior class president, who is African-American -- the parents of one of the suspended students says their son didn't do anything wrong. [TU]

Update: Albany police say one of the college students to taken to the hospital this weekend for "treatment related to excessive alcohol consumption" has died. APD had responded to call on Hamilton Street early Sunday morning -- it says officers found an unconscious individual along with four other 19 year olds who were also treated for excessive alcohol consumption. [APD press release] [TU] [News10]

The two men who videotaped their encounter with a Saratoga County Sheriff's deputy that resulted in the deputy resigning and being brought up on charges, are gearing up to sue the county over the incident. [TU]

The Saratoga County Sheriff's Department says a sergeant has been suspended after video (embedded above) surfaced of an incident Friday in a Halfmoon parking lot in which it appears the sergeant slapped a man (off camera) and swore at him while trying to get the man to open his car for a search. The man's friend tells News10 the sergeant gave his friend "a good whack to the back of the head." Saratoga County sheriff Michael Zurlo tells the Times Union: "I don't condone activity as it's portrayed and we're going to look into it and we'll handle this quickly and swiftly." The man who says he was slapped tells WNYT that he had a rifle in the back seat of his car that he uses for target shooting. [Post-Star] [News10] [TU] [WNYT]

Update: Pablo Cruz, convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for striking and killing cyclist Paul Merges in Albany in November 12, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. [Albany County DA]

The Democratic Party in New York has sent out letters to about a million registered Democratic voters telling them: "We will be reviewing the ... official voting records after the upcoming election to determine whether you joined your neighbors who voted in 2014." [AP/Daily Gazette]

Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan and the Albany firefighters union have struck a tentative deal that would keep Ladder No. 1 open in exchange for help cutting $1.2 million from other parts of the fire department. [TU]

Albany police say the man shot on South Pearl Street in the South End last Thursday morning died over the weekend. APD took a suspect into custody, but no charges have been filed yet. APD says it's investigation continues and it's looking for tips from the public. [APD FB] [TU]

A lawsuit from a man in state prison for a drug conviction alleges that injuries caused by officers from multiple agencies during an arrest in Albany last year following a chase, and then inadequate jail medical care, resulted in his leg being amputated. [TU]

Said the mother of two kids who attended school wit the two boys killed in the Guilderland case of the white ribbons she was tying on poles near the scene as a memorial: "I went by earlier and I just saw one bouquet of flowers on the lawn ... I just thought there needed to be more." [Daily Gazette]

Sara Moore -- the home health care aide accused of killing the man she'd been hired to care for at home off New Scotland Ave in Albany this past February -- pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Moore had been charged first-degree murder and facing possible life in prison without parole. She's now up for 25 years to life. [Albany County DA] [TU]

The state Department of Health reports there have been more than a dozen confirmed cases of enterovirus EV-D68, a respiratory infection that can seriously affect children. Ten of the children have been treated at Albany Med. DOH says people should take the same prevention steps around children and people with compromised immune systems as they would during influenza season. [NYS DOH] [TU]

The Thruway Authority says about 35,000 E-ZPass users were overcharged because of an error at the Harriman toll barrier on I-87. The authority says users will be credited the overcharges. A spokesman declined to state the total amount of the overbilling. [Thruway Authority] [TU]

Most incumbents in the state Legislature won their primary races. Democratic Conference leader Jeff Klein defeated Oliver Kopell. State Senator Malcolm Smith, who allegedly tried to bribe his way onto the NYC mayoral ballot as a Republican, lost his primary race.[TU][NYT]

The city of Saratoga Springs' sale/swap of the Collamer parking lot on Broadway for land to build a new public safety facility has prompted allegations among current and former city politicians that the deal undervalued the lot and the RFP was so narrow as to favor one buyer. [TU]

A profile of Preet Bharara -- the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, and self-described dork -- who's been pursuing political corruption cases in New York State and investing the Cuomo administration's role in the Moreland Commission. [NYT]

Rensselaer mayor Dan Dwyer says the city of Albany is facing a Monday deadline to accept to a proposed agreement that provide Albany with $1 million a year for 10 years from the proposed Hard Rock casino development in Rensselaer. [TU]

Schenectady's property value are already above the market value of many properties, apparently -- the system appears to be warping further because large property owners have been more likely to successfully grieving their assessments. [Daily Gazette]

A NanoCollege spokesperson initially cited "disgusting politics" as the reason the org pulled its request for $186 million in bonds for the in-construction ZEN building to be issued via an arm of the city of Albany. (Questions had arisen over why a fee associated with the project had been cut.) The next day the org pointed the finger at "misinformation in the media" about the situation. [TU x2]

From a Times Union report about an Albany County legislature vote on a procedural step for proposed veterans housing on the site of the former Ann Lee Home: "At one point, an angry veteran -- one of dozens who spoke -- brandished a box of enemas and a can of fiber supplement for lawmakers continuing to oppose the vote." [TU]

With the season at the Saratoga Race Course opening later this week, a look at how relatively new NYRA leadership team -- which came to the job with very little horse racing industry experience -- is trying to point the org in the right direction. [Daily Gazette]

Albany Common Councilman Mark Robinson says he was confronted by Albany police officers and told to move along while he was sweeping up in front a building he owns in West Hill the night of the Fourth of July. [TU]

The new Price Chopper built on the site of the former St. Patrick's Church in Watervliet opens today. [Troy Record]

In a 5-2 ruling on Tuesday, the New York State Court of Appeals struck down Albany County's cyberbulling law, overturning the conviction of a Cohoes High School student who created a Facebook page with posts about some of his fellow students -- some claiming the students had multiple sexual partners or were gay. [TU]

Today's the deadline for casino license applications -- here's a rundown of the five proposals for the Capital Region. One last(?) odd twist in the process: An outspoken opponent of the Schenectady proposal has sent a letter to the state attorney general arguing that efforts by a coalition of local entertainment venues to reach a deal with casino operators violates anti-trust laws. [Daily Gazette x2]

Albany police say a 19 year old was shot in Sheridan Hollow (area map) Sunday night and was in critical condition. The anti-gun violence group Cure Violence is planning a rally at North Lake and Second Street Tuesday evening. [APD FB] [News10]

Casinos:
+ The team behind the proposal for a casino near Amsterdam will ask the state to cut the casino license fee in half, and request an extension for its application. [TU]
+ A concern about the proposed casino at the former Alco site on the Mohawk River in Schenectady: flooding. [Daily Gazette]

Local state Assembly members Pat Fahy, John McDonald, and Phil Steck have proposed a group of bills related to the transport of crude oil. (As you know, the Port of Albany has become a major node in the rail distribution network for crude oil.) [TU] [TWCN]

The father of Vanessa Milligan, the 19-year-old pregnant woman who was found dead on April 3 after a Lansingburgh apartment fire, is planning to hold a press conference today to discuss his frustration with the slow pace of the investigation.[TU]

One of the hurdles for the city of Albany as it looks at possibly using red light cameras: a Common Council resolution asking the state legislature to allow the city to use the cameras -- a move that one council member says is being rushed. (If the resolution is passed, the state legislature would still have to OK the city's request, and then the Common Council would have to approve the use of the cameras if city decided it wanted to use them.) [TU]

Joe Bruno retrial: Pork was the subject on Friday -- and whether the consulting payments made by companies associated with Jared Abbruzzese to Bruno had any connection with two pieces of it. A former Bruno aide testified one grant was disbursed not because of influence, but because a business associate of Abbruzzese had grown "impatient" and had persistently asked for it. The trial continues to this week. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [TWCN]

State Police say a pedestrian on I-87 in Albany was killed Sunday night after being hit by a tractor trailer. NYSP say an initial investigation indicates the man "was alone in the center of three southbound lanes" when he was struck. That section of I-87 -- southbound, between exits 23 and 24 -- was closed for a time during the response to the incident. [NYSP]

Albany Common Council president Carolyn McLaughlin on the council's consideration of a resolution supporting the proposed E23 casino project in the city, in light of the East Greenbush news, to the Biz Review: "To know there is definitely a proposal coming out of East Greenbush, to me that should spark some urgency among council members ... We have to shake the dust off our feet and keep moving. We've got to get some answers here." (Speaking of E23 -- Chris Churchill wonders about the trustworthiness of the developer pushing the project.) [Biz Review] [TU]

Troy's city engineer, Russ Reeves, is resigning, a move prompted in part by recent demolition work at the former King Fuels site -- near a gas line -- that wasn't reviewed by his department. The city has also been the subject of recent FBI review of multiple projects, including the emergency demolition of the building next to Bombers. Said Reeves of his decision to leave the city job: "I've got to protect my license." [Troy Record] [TU]

A state Supreme Court justice has rejected a lawsuit that argued the NY SAFE Act shouldn't have gotten the "message of necessity" that allowed the legislature to pass it without the usual three day waiting period. [TU]

A pilot program component of the NY SAFE Act meant to update handgun licenses is on hold. [TU]

A public hearing on the Albany Capital Center's draft environment impact statement was held on Tuesday -- another step toward construction of the conventions center which is slated to begin in June. [TU]

Michael Anderson of Albany -- convicted of the stabbing death of Tonette Thomas in Albany in 2012, along with the stabbing of two other women -- was sentenced to 45 years to life in prison Friday morning. [Albany County DA]

Thousands of people -- including both anti and pro SAFE Act -- were at the ESP and Capitol Tuesday. Among the speakers at the rally against the gun control law: Donald Trump and Rob Astorino, the Westchester County exec who's running for the Republican nomination for governor.[WNYT][TU][AOA]

Albany County has submitted an application to the the Empire State Development Corporation to create application for a land bank to combat blight by acquiring properties from the county foreclosure list for development. Albany County exec Dan McCoy says the county is committing $1 million to the bank over the next two years. [TU][WNYT][McCoy admin]